Reversible blank for a casket wall



April 7, 1970 H. o. KELLER, JR 3,504,409

REVERSIBLE BLANK FOR A CASKET WALL Filed June 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mgw'rox. 1660:: D. Kaugl'e.

A TI'ORNEY April 7, 1970 H. D. KELLER, JR 3,504,409

REVERSIBLE BLANK FOR A CASKET WALL Filed June 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet al/knc: D. Kausgle.

,4 7 TOE/YE Y United States Patent 3,504,409 REVERSIBLE BLANK FOR ACASKET WALL Horace D. Keller, Jr., York, Pa., assignor to York- HooverCorporation, York, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 4,1965, Ser. No. 461,276 Int. Cl. A61g 17/00 US. Cl. 276 4 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A shaped blank for a casket wall adapted to beconnected to other blanks of similar shape to form the sides and ends ofa casket body of uniform height and process of forming such body, theupper and lower terminal edges of the wall blanks for said sides andends being of substantially identical shape and dimensions, and theportions of said wall blanks between said upper and lower terminal edgesall having a similar outer contour shaped to provide a differentesthetic concept When a casket body formed therefrom is disposed withone edge lowermost than when the body is reversed to dispose the otheredge lowermost, whereby the same wall blanks may be used to form twodifferently appearing casket bodies when bottoms and tops are attachedto the selected edges of said casket body.

This invention pertains to a burial casket and a process of forming thesame. More particularly, it pertains to a casket of the type formed byblanking and shaping the same from sheet metal, molding the same fromsynthetic resin, or suitably shaping the same from wood by woodworkingmachines, details of which are described in greater particularhereinafter.

The present invention is primarily concerned with fabricating a casketshell from the raw material to the completion of the shell, withouteither exterior finish or interior trim.

One of the principal expenses in producing caskets from stock material,especially in blanking and shaping sheet metal or molding syntheticresin, is the cost of the dies and molds. Accordingly, the greater useto which such dies and molds may be put in forming a range of differentcontours of casket bodies, the wider the amortization of the cost of thedies and molds and, correspondingly, the cost of producing the casketsbecomes lower per unit produced.

For many years, it has been customary for casket manufacturers toprovide a rather wide range of styles and shapes. Each new season,manufacturers introduce new styles and shapes into the line, usuallyretiring some of the older styles and shapes, but, under suchcircumstances, the industry has long been faced with the problem ofmaintaining a substantial inventory, thereby necessitating the investingof capital in the same, both as to the goods as well as warehouse andshowroom space within which to store the inventory.

A further aspect of the foregoing problems is that different customersdesire different styles of caskets, whereby it is not uncommon tomaintain a rather substantial inventory of unfinished parts of casketsformed from various types of material for completing the casket shells,the same being fabricated into shells upon the placement of orders,either to satisfy an order or quickly replace a casket taken fromfinished stock to fill an order.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide aninnovation in the outer contours and shapes of the side and end blanksof the body of a casket formed from sheet metal, wood, or syntheticresins, such shape being non-symmetrical with respect to the upper andlower terminal edges of the body of the casket, whereby, depending uponwhich edges of the casket blanks are "ice placed uppermost, twodecidedly different, esthetically pleasing styles or shapes of completedcaskets are made available from a single blank shape after the bottomand top of the casket have been affixed respectively to the selectedupper and lower edges of the casket body.

It is another object of the present invention to make the foregoingobject possible by providing the upper and lower terminal edges of thecasket blank similar in transverse dimension and shape, whereby aselected top and bottom for a casket of predetermined shape and size ofbody may interchangeably be affixed to either terminal edge of the bodyand thereby permit reversibility of the body as contemplated by theforegoing object.

As a result of the aforementioned objects, further objects of theinvention are to provide maximum saving in die and mold costs throughproviding a very substantial range of available styles and shapes by theuse of a decreased number of dies and minimizing the inventory necessaryto be maintained by a casket manufacturer without correspondinglydecreasing available body styles, by manufacturing a supply of caskettops and bottoms of similar transverse dimensions and shapes and capableof being fitted selectively against the reversible, opposite upper andlower edges of the casket body, but withholding the completion of thecaskets by the affixation of tops and bottoms to the body until theselection of a certain style, shape and material of casket has beenmade. Then, after such selection has been made by a customer, thecompletion of the casket shell is made, quickly if necessary, from awide range of previously fabricated styles of tops, one of which isconnected to the selected edge of any selected body shape, regardless ofwhich edge of the selected body style is disposed uppermost to receive adesired casket top, while a conventional casket bottom is affixed to theother edge of the casket body.

Details of the foregoing objects and of the invention, as well as otherobjects thereof, are set forth in the following specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawings comprising a part thereof.

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively are side and end elevations of an exemplarydesign of casket body in which the upper and lower edges are of the sametransverse dimensions and shape, but the intermediate portions of thesides and ends are disposed in a selected position to which an eXemplarytop and bottom have been fixed to present one style and shape concept.

FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively are side and end elevations of the samecasket body shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, but in which views the body has beenreversed with respect to the position of the upper and lower edgesthereof, thereby illustrating how a conventional top and bottom of acasket fits such upper and lower edges of the body with equal facilityand when the body has been reversed, a substantially different conceptof body style and shape is presented.

FIGS. 5 and 6 respectively are fragmentary vertical elevations as seenfrom one end of an exemplary casket embodying the principles of thepresent invention and illustrate details of mechanisms by whichexemplary casket tops and bottoms are connected to the selected upperand lower edges of a desired style of casket body, FIG. 5 showing thehinge connecting means for the top and FIG. 6 showing exemplary lock ornon-locking catch mechanism disposed on the front face of the casket.

FIGS. 7a through 11a respectively illustrate only the outlines ofcross-sectional shapes for the sides and ends of a casket body, allembodying the basic principle of the present invention wherein the upperand lower edges of the outlines are in vertical alignment with eachother while the intermediate portions are of an irregular nature.

FIGS. 7b through 11b are the same outlines of crosssectional shapes ofthe sides and ends of a casket body shown respectively in FIGS. 7athrough 11a when the upper and lower edges of the outlines have beenreversed to provide visual concept of the marked difference inappearance of casket bodies which are obtainable simplv through thereversal in position of the upper and lower edges of a predeterminedbody shape embodying the principles of the present invention.

'FIGS. 12a and 12b respectively are exemplary vertical sectional viewsof an exemplary contour of the sides or ends of a casket body formedfrom wood and respectively showing the sectional body side or endreversed relative to the top and bottom.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated therein a casket body10 having terminal upper and lower edges 12 and 14 which are ofpreferably identical transverse dimensions and shapes. The sides 16 andends 18 of body 10, as represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, are illustrated asbeing formed by blanking and shaping from sheet material, such as sheetmetal, either ferrous or non-ferrous, of suitable gauge and composition,but they also may be formed by molding from appropriate non-metallicmaterial, such as any of a substantial variety of suitable syntheticresins of appropriate thickness and rigidity and including beingreinforced with glass fibers. Similarly, the body of the casket may befabricated from shaped wooden sides and ends suitably connected and of awide range or shapes in plan view. Such sides and shapes may be formedin various conventional ways such as by being built up from a number ofpieces suitably shaped and interfitted, and united by glueing, nailing,screwing and the like.

After a desired shape and contour has been imparted to a selectedmaterial by the means described above to produce the exemplary outercontour or shape illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, either through the use ofsuitable sheet metal working blanking and forming or shaping dies, suchas those now employed to form desired shapes in the bodies of metalcaskets, or through the employment of appropriate dies or molds capableof molding synthetic resin or plastics materials into the desiredconfiguration or the use of normal woodworking equipment, the materialprovided with such desired shapes is suitably cut into appropriatelengths respectively to form the sides and ends of the casket body.

Such cut pieces may either be pre-blanked or otherwise shaped at theends so that the formed members terminate in configurations which arecomplementary to those of the adjacent abutting member to be connectedthereto. The abutting ends of the pieces are permanently connected bypresently employed means, depending upon the material being connected.

In addition to the similarly shaped and dimensioned terminal upper andlower edges 12 and 14 of the casket body 10 having vertically disposedexterior portions when formed into a casket body, the same terminate ininwardly extending upper and lower horizontal and parallel surfaces 20and 22, which, when the casket material is sheet metal as shown in FIGS.and 6, comprise flanges, and preferably are of uniform width. Tostrengthen said flanges when fabricated from sheet metal, the upper andlower terminal edges thereof preferably are bent toward each other alimited amount, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, thereby forming achannel configuration in crosssection. The upper surfaces or flanges 20may support an appropriate sealing gasket 24, if desired, suitablyaffiXed thereto, which extends around the entire periphery of the casketbody on sealer-type caskets. Only metal caskets presently are suitablefor applying sealing means thereto.

The front side 16 of the casket is provided with a plurality of latches26, which may be of a locking or nonlocking type, the same beingsuitably spaced longitudinally along said front side. Connected to theupper surface or flange 20 which extends along the rear side 16 of thecasket body, as shown in FIG. 5, is the lower leaf of each of aplurality of hinges 28 by which a selected casket top 30 readily ispivotally connected to the casket body 10.

It is to be understood that the specific illustration of casket top 30shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 merely is one of many types which may beconnected to the selected upper edge of the selected shape of casketbody 10 by hinge means. For example, the top 30 specifically illustratedin FIGS. 5 and 6 is known in the industry as a full couch top. Therealso is another form of top known as a perfection half-couch, notillustrated in detail, but in which a full couch top is bisectedtransversely and normally, at least for viewing purposes, only one halfof the top is raised. Still another type of well-known casket top isdesignated in the industry as a standard half-couch, likewise notillustrated in detail, but in which not only is the top bisectedtransversely, but portions of the top frame molding, adjacent theperimeter of the top, are hingedly connected to the upper edge of thecasket body at the head end and one-half of the adjacent front side toprovide what is known as a hinged headwing and frontwing. One furtherwell-known type of casket top is known in the industry as a hingedpanel, details of which also are not illustrated in the drawings, butwhich comprises a hinged half or full central panel, connected to thetop frame molding surrounding the entire perimeter of the upper end ofthe casket body 10. The present invention permits the use of any ofthese and other types of tops.

One conventional type of casket bottom 32 is illustrated in exemplarymanner, fragmentarily, in FIGS. 5 and 6, particularly in regard to ametal casket. Such bottom normally is of the same material as the casketbody and, when formed from sheet metal, generally is provided withelongated strengthening and positioning indentations 34 adjacent theperiphery of the bottom 32. Also, there is provided, on metal bottoms,peripheral edges 36 which extend outwardly from the indentations 34 andare connected to the lower flanges 22 of the casket body 10 by anyappropriate means, such as welding, riveting, or the like. If thebottoms are of wood or synthetic resins, however, appropriate attachingmeans are utilized.

By referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, FIGS, 5 and 6, and FIG. 7a in particular,wherein substantially the same outer contour of the sides and/or ends ofa casket body 10 is illustrated, the concept is presented wherein theintermediate portions of the sides and ends slope inwardly toward arelatively massive body bottom, while the upper portion of the casketbody appears to be somewhat less massive. Actually, this opticalappearance exists notwithstanding the fact that the terminal upper andlower edges 12 and 14 have substantially the same transverse dimensions,both in the side as well as the end view.

Due to the fact that the intermediate portions of the sides and ends ofthe body 10 between said upper and lower terminal edges are irregular,but highly esthetic, however, it is possible to reverse the body 10 soas to dis pose the upper and lower terminal edges 12 and 14 of FIGS. 1and 2 so as respectively to comprise the lower and upper edges in thearrangement shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Such reversal occurs beforeattaching the top 30 and bottom 32 to the upper and lower horizontalflanges 20 and 22 of the initially upper and lower terminal edges 12 and14 of the body 10. As a result, by observing FIGS. 3 and 4 in comparisonwith FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that a totally different concept ofcasket body is provided, notwithstanding the fact it is the same casketbody which is illustrated in both pairs of figures respectivelyillustrating the sides and ends of the casket and regardless of thematerial from which the casket shell is formed.

For purposes of illustrating an exemplary application of the presentinvention to wood, attention is directed to FIGS. 12a and 12b whereinthe same top 30, selected from any of the various styles and shapesavailable, is shown attached respectively in said figures to theopposite edges 20 and 22 of the same body which, in said figures,respectively is shown, in section, in reversed positions. The body 10'actually has the same exterior contour but, as described in theforegoing, simply by reversing the body about its axis, two differentvisual exterior concepts are afforded.

When forming the sides and ends from wood, certain structural detailsare employed which are slightly different from those employed in casketsmade from sheet metal and plastics. The principal difference is theforming of rabbets on the inner surfaces of the body sides and ends. Thelowermost rabbet receives the wooden bottom 40, while the uppermostrabbet is fitted with a filler strip 42, for example, to afford a topedge of normal width. Such strip may be secured appropriately within theuppermost rabbet 42 and the bottom 40 is secured at the edges thereofwithin the lowermost rabbet 42 by usual means such as glue, screws ornails. The top 30 is hingedly connected to the upper edge 20 or 22',whichever is selected, thereby completing the shell of the casket.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that in order to provide suchexemplary pairs of distinctly different shape concepts of casket body,both of which, however, are equally esthetic, it actually is onlynecessary to maintain one casket body in stock until an order is placedeither for the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or the arrangementshown in FIGS. 3 and 4, following which the selected type or style oftop 30 requested by the customer may be attached to the horizontalflanges or upper surfaces of the selected upper terminal edge by thenecessary hinges or otherwise, prepare such terminal edge to accommodatethe desired type of latch or lock means and aflix the same thereto,secure the bottom 32 to the horizontal flanges or bottom surface of theterminal lower edge of the body 10 of the casket by conventional meansnormally employed, and then apply the normal exterior finish andinterior trimming materials and arrangements to complete the formationof the casket.

For purposes of illustrating the versatility of the pres ent inventionwith respect to a limited number of exemplary vertical exterior contourswhich, if the casket is of metal, also represent shaped material whichform the sides and ends of a casket body, attention is directed to FIGS.7a, 8a, 9a, 10a, and 11a, wherein it will be seen that depending uponwood or metal being used, the upper terminal surfaces or edges 12a-12erespectively thereon and the lower terminal surfaces or edges 14a14erespectively thereon are in vertical alignment with each other toillustrate that, when casket bodies are formed from such configurations,the upper and lower terminal surfaces or edges have the same transversedimension.

Simply by reversing, i.e., turning the casket body 180 about itslongitudinal axis so as to exchange the upper terminal edge for thelower terminal edge, for example, it will be seen respectively byreference to FIGS. 7b, 8b, 9b, 10b and 11b that a very marked, yetesthetically pleasing different concept of casket body configuration isprovided, It is to be understood, of course, that the five differentexemplary configurations of exterior shape outlines, regardless ofmaterial, respectively shown in the five pairs of figures just referredto are not to be regarded as restrictive since the actual number of suchdesigns is limited only by the imagination of skilled designers in theart.

Whle the general shape of the casket specifically illustrated in thedrawings, in plan view, is substantially rectangular, it also is to beunderstood that not only may the ends of the casket body terminate insquare corners, but the same also may terminate in rounded corners, orthe ends may be somewhat of a semielliptical shape in plan view betweenthe relatively straight front and rear sides of the casket body. Stillfurther possibilities comprise the formation of the ends of the body soas to provide an overall hexagonal, octagonal, or any other suitable andesthetically pleasing geometrical plan view configuration of casket bodyand similarly shaped casket top and bottom.

One further advantageous aspect of the present invention resides in thefact that a well equipped casket factory with high capacity productionmachinery is capable of forming sheets or panels from which the sidesand ends of casket bodies may be formed, such sheets or panels beingformed from any of the materials referred to above and having variousesthetically desirable contours on at least one surface. If the sheetsor panels are formed from metal or sheet plastics, and no edge flangesare formed thereon, they maybe stacked into compact piles or bundlesreadily capable of being shipped to smaller factories or job shops forthe completion of the casket bodies. If formed from wood, no edge flangeproblem is present when stacking and bundling, All of the resultingadvantages of the present invention are present in this form ofmerchandising and final fabrication of caskets which may occur closer tothe actual market for said caskets, whereby highly worthwhile savings inshipping costs results from such procedure as compared to shippingcompleted casket bodies long distances.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention, throughthe use of similar terminal upper and lower edges of a casket body, butan irregular intermediate shape of sides and ends of a casket bodybetween said terminal upper and lower edges, two quite different buthighly esthetically pleasing shapes and designs of casket body are madepossible from a single shape of casket body through the simple expedientof selecting which terminal edge of the body is to be disposeduppermost, for example, for the attachment of a top thereto, while abottom is attached to the selected lower edge. Such an arrangementprovides highly worthwhile reduction in inventory which must bemaintained by a casket manufacturer and corresponding savings in diecosts likewise are made possible, along with the other attendingbenefits set forth in detail hereinabove.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in its severalpreferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is notto be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and describedsince the same may be carried out in other ways falling within the scopeof the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A blank for a casket wall adapted to be connected to other blanks toform a casket body having upper and lower terminal edges of identicalshape and size, said blank being vertically non-symmetrical between itsopposite edges and having an outer contour shaped to provide a differentaesthetic concept when a casket body formed therefrom is disposed withone edge lowermost than when said body is reversed and the other edge islowermost, whereby said casket wall blanks are adapted to form twodifferent appearing casket bodies when a bottom is fixed to the loweredge of such body when it is disposed in the position selected to formthe desired concept of the two possibilities thereof, the upper edge ofsuch casket body when in said selected position being arranged to have atop connected thereto.

2. The blank for a casket wall according to claim 1 in which said outercontour thereof between said terminal edges thereof is shaped so that acasket body when formed from a number of said connected walls isgenerally tapered inwardly from one edge of said body toward the otheredge of said body.

3. The blank for a casket wall according to claim 1 in which saidopposite edges of said wall blanks are each provided with similarflanges extending a limited distance perpendicularly from the samesurface of said blank to provide surfaces to which a botom and a top fora casket selectively may be attached.

4. The blank for the body of a casket according to claim 3 in which theflanges on the opposite edges of said casket wall blanks when connectedto form a casket body are provided with means arranged respectively toaccommodate hinge and latch means for connecting and latching a top tosaid casket body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1898 Hiser et al. 27-5 XR 1Donahue 27-5 Hollins 272 Knox 27-6 Strunk 27-6 Slaughter 2717 U.S. Cl.X.R.

